The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-22
LIONS IN A TERRIBLE FIGHT.
Tearing Themselves to Pieces Until
Death Ends the Battle.


From the Philadelphia Times
LONDON, Oct 1S.-Early this morning
there was a fearful and exciting battle in
the Jubilee Exhibition at Liverpool. Del
monico, the most plucky tanner of beasts IN
this country, has been exciting the nerves
of the visitors for long time by trifling in
a cage with three big forest lions. Five
more lions of different kind, but all fierce
and full grown, arrived from AFRICA
yesterday and were put at once INTO
the big cage With the three already
there. They had no training, but Delmon-
leo went in among them and thrilled the
crowd that filled the menagerie by an I'M
usually sensational performance. w hen ne
had done Mile. Kora, his partner, went in
with the lions and took a little dog with her.
This was repeated four times during the
day, and the five new lions were too much
stunned by the huge, noisy crowd about
them and the repeated visits of the man,
woman and dog to do anything but crouch
in their corners in fear
Their astonishment had not worn off, and
they were still quiet when left alone for to-
night by the attendants at 10 o'clock
Shortly after midnight, however, the
menagerie was filled with frightful roar
ing and snarling and a servant sleeping on
the premises rushed i'll to find the big iron
! cage rocking and, eight lions fighting
furiously. They We're rolled up into huge
dark ball, from which blood-stained fur
was flying in all directions The huge beasts
rolled over and over, dashing madly against
the sides of the cage and biting pieces out OF
each other with ferocity tbaG was sicken-
ing. All the sights organized to crafty
mans fondness for fighting would have
seemed the tamest chld's play in COMPARE
son. After "a while it became evident that
there were distinct sides in the battle and
that the new arrivals We're pitted at unfair
odds against the lions who had been in pos
session.
The efforts of the servant to separate
them only increased their fury At last he
rushed off for Delmonico. who was asleep
near by. The tanner arrived half clad and
found his lions bleeding fearfully but still
fighting The battle narrowed down to
duel between the two biggest lions, which
were rapidly biting each other to pieces in
the middle of the cage. Occasionally 1t be-
came general, and for a few seconds there
would be wild tumble among the snarling
lions, with a savage crunchlng of teeth to
tell how flesh was being torn.
The appearance of Delmonico with red
hot iron in his hand produced immediate eff
feet All but the two chief cOmbatants
stopped fighting and crOuched sullenly
down, licking their bloody wounds and
snarling encouragement to the two leaders.
On these III their rage hot iron was useless,
even when applied to raw flesh. They re-
sponded TO the burning sensation only by
tearing ut each other more tiercely. AT last
Delmonico bravely entered the cage, half
clad as he was. and shut himself III. He
next opened the door communicating with
the second cage and drove into it, like SO
many sheep, the six lions that had been
looking on.
Meanwhile the other lions were still fight
ing, although much weaker. Delmonico's
attempts to separate them were useless.
| They paid not the slightest attention to
him, and, although III their struggle they
dashed against him, they We're evidently I'M
conscious OF his presence. Before the tanner
could form any plan to separate them the
fight ended of itself The big forest lion
rolled over on back and died. while the
other gave a faint roar of victory. The
dead lion was terribly mangled, while the
victors name was gone and his body looked
as though an especially wicked harrow had
been repeatedly dragged over it. Blood
trickled from hundred ugly wounds, and
there is little hope that he will live.